San Luis Obispo man convicted in robbery, assault of grocery store employee

By Staff Report · Thu Jul 23 2026

SAN LUIS OBISPO — A San Luis Obispo County jury has convicted Robert Wade Moore IV, 40, of robbery and multiple assault charges stemming from the December 2025 attack of a 67-year-old grocery store employee who confronted him over stolen merchandise.

District Attorney Dan Dow announced the verdict Monday. Moore was found guilty of robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury and resisting, obstructing or delaying a peace officer. He was acquitted of elder abuse, while jurors were unable to reach a verdict on a charge of carrying a concealed dirk or dagger, resulting in a mistrial on that count.

"No one who goes to work to serve our community should be beaten for doing the right thing, and no one who steps in to protect a stranger should be attacked for their courage," said Dow in a statement. "This victim and the good Samaritan who came to his aid showed exactly the kind of character that holds our community together. My office has zero tolerance for violent crime, and this verdict makes clear that those who resort to violence in San Luis Obispo County will be held fully accountable."

The incident occurred Dec. 22, 2025, at the Smart & Final store on Johnson Avenue in San Luis Obispo.

Prosecutors said Moore left the store with unpaid food items, including a three-pack of Martinelli's cider. When the employee confronted him outside, Moore repeatedly struck the victim and hit him with the cider pack, causing injuries to the victim's head and face.

A bystander intervened after seeing the assault, but Moore threw a container of milk at the good Samaritan before fleeing on a bicycle.

Police arrested Moore the following day after responding to a report of a man refusing to leave a restroom at SLO Ranch Market. Officers discovered Moore inside the bathroom and recovered two knives from his pocket while taking him into custody.

Following the jury trial, the judge found several aggravating factors to be true, including that Moore used a weapon during the crimes, had numerous prior convictions of increasing seriousness, had previously served a prison term and had performed unsatisfactorily while on community supervision.

Moore faces a maximum sentence of five years in state prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 12 in San Luis Obispo County Superior Court.